Showing posts with label comic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comic. Show all posts
Monday, September 27, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
On the Advice of the FBI, Cartoonist Molly Norris Disappears From View
You may have noticed that Molly Norris' comic is not in the paper this week. That's because there is no more Molly.
Molly Norris
The gifted artist is alive and well, thankfully. But on the insistence of top security specialists at the FBI, she is, as they put it, "going ghost": moving, changing her name, and essentially wiping away her identity. She will no longer be publishing cartoons in our paper or in City Arts magazine, where she has been a regular contributor. She is, in effect, being put into a witness-protection program—except, as she notes, without the government picking up the tab. It's all because of the appalling fatwa issued against her this summer, following her infamous "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" cartoon.
Norris views the situation with her customary sense of the world's complexity, and absurdity. When FBI agents, on a recent visit, instructed her to always keep watch for anyone following her, she responded, "Well, at least it'll keep me from being so self-involved!" It was, she says, the first time the agents managed a smile. She likens the situation to cancer—it might basically be nothing, it might be urgent and serious, it might go away and never return, or it might pop up again when she least expects it.
We're hoping the religious bigots go into full and immediate remission, and we wish her the best.
11 groundbreaking comics that sold for more than $70,000
This month, an original Todd McFarlane cover from Amazing Spider-Man 313 sold on eBay for $71,200. Apparently Todd wasn't aware of how much his creation was actually worth, because early on in the auction he tweeted, "sold a Spidey cover I did years ago for about $700. It's now on EBAY for over $55,000! Guess I should have asked $800."
And that's chump change compared to some other recent high-profile (and high-dollar) comic sales, including the staggering $1.5 million paid for Action Comics No. 1 in March. If you're wondering just how much comics are worth these days, here's a list of 10 that have gone for $70,000 or more (often MUCH more):
Amazing Spider-Man 313
Sale Price: $71,200 Description:Todd McFarlane was paid just $700 for this cover, which is now worth more than 100 times that. More Fun Comics # 52
Sale Price: $207,000 Description: More Fun Comics was the first comic-book series to feature solely original material rather than reprints of newspaper comic strips, and it would later go on to become DC Comics. Issue No. 52 is special because it features the first story for the Spectre. Captain America Comics # 1
Sale Price: $260,000 Description: Yup, you guessed it. This comic, published in 1941, represents the first appearance of Captain America in all of his epicness. That right hook to Hitler's face pretty much sums up what people were looking for in their comics during the time of World War II. Amazing Fantasy # 15
Sale Price: $280,000 Description: "Spider-Man debuted on the cover in August 1960, with the comic book series scheduled for cancellation, but sales proved to be one of Marvel's highest at the time and The Amazing Spider-Man was quickly launched," the Telegraph reported. Batman # 1
Sale Price: $280,000 Description: Not only is this the first issue of DC Comics' Batman, but it also contains the first appearance of both the Joker and Catwoman. Marvel Comics # 1
Sale Price: $350,000 Description:Before Timely Comics became Marvel Comics, they published Marvel Comics (confusing, right?). This first issue included the appearance of Carl Burgos' android superhero the Human Torch, and the first generally available appearance of Bill Everett's anti-hero Namor the Sub-Mariner. Detective Comics # 1
Sale Price: $405,000 Description:This was the inaugural issue of the Detective Comics series, which began in 1937 and went on to feature both Superman and Batman. It was written in the style of the "hard-boiled detective" genre, most notably featuring Slam Bradley. All-American Comics #16
Sale Price: $430,000 Description: This comic introduced the Green Lantern, and with the feature film only months away, you can expect that the owner of this book is a happy camper. Flash Comics # 1
Sale Price: $450,000 Description: "This is the finest known copy of the 1940 DC Comics first appearance of the Flash and Hawkman," said Ed Jaster, vice president of Heritage Auctions. It also saw the introductions of Shiera Sanders, the Whip and Johnny Thunder. Detective Comics No. 27
Sale Price: $1,075,500 Description: This 1939 comic has the first-ever appearance of Batman, and that large price tag makes it the second most expensive comic book out there. Action Comics No. 1
Sale Price: $1,500,000 Description: Widely considered one of the most sought-after comic books in existence, probably because it contains the very first appearance of a little-known character called Superman. And (so far) it's the most expensive comic-book sale on record. 
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
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